The Mormon Gender Gap Widens

No, it is not you, girl. There is a man deficit in the LDS church.

By Corine Gatti

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A gender imbalance is leaving Mormon women without husbands. Many women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are outnumbering men as they are leaving the church in Utah. The state has the fifth highest ratio of men to women in all ages. The gender gap has widened since 1990 as the ratio was 52-to-48, TIME magazine reported. In 2008, the gap increased to 60-to-40. As it stands, there are 3 women for every 2 men.

The report explained that the church has one of the most “lopsided gender ratios in the nation.” Men have just too many options, and single women are feeling the deficit. There is a lot of social pressure to get married for women, regardless of religion. Women tend to feel less than when they are not married. Overtime it becomes tougher, as they get older, and it is harder for them to find a mate. The median age of women to marry in the U.S. is 27, and for men it is 29. In 1990, the average age for females to get married was 23, and for men it was 26. With the ratio 3:2, females in the LDS church in Utah might have to employ an exit strategy. American Religious Identification Survey found and published a report that this has resulted in women marrying non-Mormon men. Children born into mixed marriages are less likely to remain in the church. Women are less-likely than men to leave, but it puts them in a precarious situation, where they might have to look into other religions, or not get married at all. The United States Census, found that there are 62 percent Mormons in Utah. Salt Lake County, has an estimated 54.4 percent. The county with the lowest percentage of LDS was Grand County with 26.5 percent. Yet, with a disproportionate amount a men--moving into another state might be an option for women.

Single females are sharing their frustrations. Meridian Magazine is a LDS publication, and it did a survey to uncover the challenges facing LDS singles. There was a sense from the answers how fed up women are getting. Some of the responses told the frustrating tale. One woman wrote: "Lack of men! Who is there to marry?! If they are there, they are either addicted to porn or video games. We are raising a generation of boys that never grow up." More comments outlined were the lack of dating opportunities, not having quality men to marry, meeting single LDS men, and one person responded that “men have a ton of choices, which leads to indecision, and the women are just not all statistically going to find a mate within the church.” Ouch. The church responded to the trend.

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve shared how young people are having problems not only about mission and service in the church, but also on the topic of getting married. He spoke to the General Conference on young people that they need to be ready for marriage, and need to be worthy of taking the sacrament. Hales recommended that “addition to serving in Church callings, follow the example of the Savior, who simply “went about doing good.” Yet, what is happening is many people are leaving organized religion and the LDS church is not exempt and is a datum. A number of men are leaving because of the full-time proselytizing mission that all boys need to accomplish before the age of 18. If they don’t they are usually condemned, scolded and adhere to serious social consequences. Some could be considered a refugee by some in the church. However, more and more of these kids are deciding to leave the religion and the state to explore their freedoms outside the LDS church. This offers “a pathway for, eventual disaffection. And this contributes to a rising sex ratio disparity among Utah Mormons that doesn’t manifest elsewhere,” the Religion News Service found.

Women will not find support at the Mormon Game, where the blogger trashed single Mormon gals; he called them feminists, as bring it all on themselves for being alone. He also delightly shared with his readers how talk down to girls. The article said women lose desirability as they age. For men it is different as they just gain more in life like homes, careers, and become stellar fathers. “Women lose their cheerful visage, and they can become stuck in a lifestyle that makes a family less practical.” He went on to let Mormon women know the importance of remaining a virgin so they will be a better individuals and followers of the LDS Church. Let’s preface that not all men think this way. Many Mormons believe in traditional roles in a family, but one person is not seen as better than another. People work as a team just like non-Mormons.

What do we know about Mormonism? Mormons believe that The Book of Mormon is a Testament of Jesus Christ, His teachings, and His experience with people in America. They believe the Christ's church was restored through Joseph Smith. Mormons believe an angel (Moroni) appeared to Joseph Smith. It was then that Smith was delivered the information on Christ and more, and he created a supplement to the Bible in 1827. The Book of Mormon was originally written in unknown characters referred to as "reformed Egyptian, according to published reports." This was later engraved on golden plates.